Beyond the Gangway
Shore Secrets: Cruise Port Guides for More Than 170 Ports
Most cruise planning stops at the pier. Ours keeps going. Shore Secrets is our own port guide, built for each stop on your itinerary, so you step ashore knowing where to go, what is worth your time and exactly when to be back aboard.
Inside every guide
Everything You Need for a Day in Port
Each port in Shore Secrets follows the same clear layout, so you can find what you need in seconds, even standing on the pier.
You come ashore here
Where the ship docks or tenders, how far it is to town, and whether to walk, taxi or shuttle, so the first ten minutes ashore are already decided.
Street maps that work offline
Street-level maps of each port, readable with no cell signal, with every recommended stop pinned and numbered from the pier.
A port timer that watches the clock
A countdown to all aboard sits at the top of every port, and tender ports carry a last-tender reminder, so you can stay out longer with confidence.
Of Special Note
The details that catch travelers out, checked for the current year: new port fees, timed tickets, entry rules, closures and seasonal limits.
Local operators we have vetted
Independent guides, dive shops and tour companies we have researched, shown side by side with the cruise line's own excursions so you can compare with clarity.
Beaches, tables and quieter corners
Where locals swim, eat and linger, plus the spots most passengers walk past, chosen for the hours you actually have in port.
See a sample port
A Day in Cozumel, Planned in a Few Taps
This is Shore Secrets on a phone, using our real Cozumel guide. Choose where your ship docks, add the places that appeal to you, and the guide builds your map and keeps watch on the clock.
- Tell it where you came ashoreCozumel has three cruise piers. Pick yours and every distance in the guide adjusts to match.
- Browse the beachesTap Add to map on the ones you want to see.
- Pick a table with a viewRestaurants and bars we recommend, with notes on when they open.
- Open My MapYour choices are pinned and numbered from north to south. The map works with no cell signal.
- Let the port timer watch the clockIt counts down to all aboard and tells you when to start heading back.
Sample guide for illustration. Your guides are built for the ports on your own itinerary, with full street-level maps.
Where did you come ashore?
This port has 3 arrival points, and they are miles apart. Choose yours and the guide measures every distance from there.
Pools, kayaks and water trampolines on a lively stretch of sand.
+Add to mapA quieter, upscale club with a pool, hot tubs and massage.
+Add to mapA long natural beach with calm water, lined with beach clubs.
+Add to mapA rugged Atlantic beach with natural rock pools and no crowds.
+Add to mapOpen-air bar above the Atlantic coast. Open 9:30 am to 7 pm.
+Add to mapA favorite for dinner in town. Opens at 4 pm, so best on a late-departure day.
+Add to mapSlow-roasted Yucatán pork, the island's signature taco.
Where it goes
More Than 170 Ports and Counting
Our guides already cover these regions, and new ports are added each season.
Sailing somewhere not listed? Ask us. If a port on your itinerary is not covered yet, we tell you before you book.
How it works
Included With Every Aurévia Booking
Shore Secrets is our thank-you for planning with us. There is nothing extra to buy.
Book your voyage with us
Choose your cruise with an Aurévia travel consultant. Shore Secrets is included with every booking.
We build your guides
We prepare a guide for each port on your exact itinerary, with arrival details matched to your ship.
Carry it ashore
Your guides arrive on your phone before you sail, with a printable edition to keep and share with your travel companions.
Questions we hear
Shore Secrets FAQ
What is Shore Secrets?
Shore Secrets is Aurévia-Voyages' own cruise port guide. For every port on your itinerary, it gives you arrival and walking details, an offline street map, an all-aboard timer, current fees and entry rules, vetted local operators and our picks for beaches, food and quieter corners. It is written to help you use limited hours ashore well.
Do the maps work without a cell signal?
Yes. The maps are built into the guide itself, so they open on your phone with no data connection or roaming plan. Each map shows the streets around the port with the pier and every recommended stop marked, and the map data comes from OpenStreetMap, credited inside every guide.
Which ports does Shore Secrets cover?
More than 170 ports across the Caribbean and Bahamas, the Mediterranean and Greek Isles, Northern Europe and the Baltic, Alaska, Canada and New England, Bermuda, the Mexican Riviera, Southeast Asia, and the Danube, Rhine, Seine, Douro and Rhône rivers. New regions are added every season.
How do I get Shore Secrets for my cruise?
Book your voyage with Aurévia-Voyages and it is included. We build a guide for each port on your exact itinerary and send it to your phone before you sail, along with a printable edition. If your itinerary includes a port we have not covered yet, we tell you up front.
How is Shore Secrets different from the cruise line's port information?
The cruise line focuses on the excursions it sells. Shore Secrets shows those excursions alongside independent operators we have vetted, then adds what the ship's material rarely includes: walking distances from the pier, offline street maps, current fees and entry rules, and a timer that keeps you on schedule.